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Best Museum Virtual Tours and Online Gallery in the World

14 July 2022 Written by zubair

When the pandemic first hit, the world turned its attention to relying on the trusty creation of computers and the internet. With people staying at home and moving everything online, seeing sights like museums and galleries was out of the question. With many parts of the world still suffering the doom and gloom of staying indoors, there are many people still using the internet to connect with others and have fun. Thankfully with the blessing of modern technology, there are many ways to bring entertainment to your own screen and make it feel like you are on a fun sightseeing tour from the comfort of your own home

From interactive tours to fully walkable tours with voice-over descriptions, there are many variations to choose from that allow you to get as up close and personal as you possibly could to your favorite works of art.

If you're an art and sculpture lover, then this article is for you! We have compiled a list of the best online gallery and museum tours around the world. So get ready to take a virtual trip soon to a gallery, not so near you.

1. Natural History Museum - London

Natural History Museum - London

Built and opened in 1881, the Natural History Museum in London continues to be a favorite amongst both tourists and locals. It contains a vast variety of specimens to feast your eyes upon; a total of 80 million items are held within its five main collections. From crystals, plants, and butterflies to the colossal 25.3mm long skeleton of a blue whale right as you walk in, there are plenty of fascinating facts to learn about and specimens to see.

The Natural History Museum has now made it possible for you to roam around the many rooms and halls from the comfort of your couch with their various online tours.

They have a total of 13 options to choose from to experience the museum from home. You can browse the library and digital archives, tune into the Nature Live Online talks and listen to the discussions of scientists and there’s even a tour of the Hintze Hall you can take that’s narrated by Sir David Attenborough himself.

2. The Vatican Museums - Rome

The Vatican Museums - Rome

Next on our list is the elegant, timeless Vatican Museums. It's the museum that you can't forget to look up when you’re visiting, or you will miss half the artwork. These are the public museums of Vatican City and are home to an immense collection of works from the Catholic Church and the papacy through the centuries. Founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century, it now houses a total of 24 galleries with the prize masterpiece of the Sistine Chapel in the last room you enter on a tour of the museum.

You can experience the sheer beauty and elegance of this building through a couple of different 360-degree virtual tours, one of which is by You Visit and provides an amazing full-screen, clear image that takes you right to Rome. This tour also covers areas such as Saint Peter’s Basilica and Square and has a guided narrator leading the way and providing you with facts and information about the museum.

3. Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

In the center of Paris on the bank of the Seine, this museum was originally built as a railway station and hotel, but it is now home to dozens of impressionist and post-impressionist works from many different French artists that lived between 1848 and 1914.

You can now experience all the mesmerizing works of art on a virtual tour through the Google arts and culture section. It offers you an up-close tour of the building and its collection, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the exterior, and learn all about the history of the building and the array of artistic masterpieces it houses such as works from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin.

4. National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art - Seoul

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art - Seoul

Last on our list is the Natural Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, South Korea. There are four different sites that make up this museum. The main ones are in Gwacheon and the others in Seoul, Deoksugung, and Cheongju. It was established in 1969 and it is one of Korea’s most popular museums, counting to all four sites it houses around 10,000 pieces of contemporary artwork.

Each site has its own job to do with the MMCA in Seoul in the heart of the city focusing on global contemporary art, Gwacheon is devoted to art genres like architecture, design, and craft. Deoksugung displays works of modern art from Korea and finally, Cheongju has the most important job of collecting, preserving, expanding the museum's knowledge, and educating.

There are many ways you can enjoy the online virtual experience of all four MMCA sites. When going to their website they have their very own digital museum section that contains curator-guided exhibition tours, and artist interviews, and there's even immersive content where you will find the virtual reality tours.